Discipline is one of coach Adam Wright’s leading pillars of success.

And while last year’s discipline may have awarded the Bruins an undefeated season, this year’s lack of discipline handed this season’s team its first loss since 2023.

“Our discipline overall this weekend and the standard of how we are supposed to play was pretty disappointing,” Wright said. “We were kind of all over the place with our performance, and the reality is that put us into a hard spot in the final.”

No. 1 UCLA women’s water polo (6-1) failed to defend its Triton Invitational title after falling to No. 3 USC (8-0) in the finals to break its 32-match win streak. The team opened with a 29-4 rout of Concordia University Irvine (1-5) and an 11-7 victory over No. 14 UC San Diego (4-6) before cruising past No. 6 UC Irvine (3-3) in the semifinals.

Friday and Saturday posed little challenge as the Bruins blitzed past early opponents to secure their spot in the final against their crosstown rivals.

Up until Sunday, UCLA was undefeated for more than a year, with its last loss dating back to a 14-9 defeat to Stanford in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament.

UCLA’s opening win over Concordia set the tone for the weekend, garnering 29 goals – its highest total since a 30-5 victory over Pacific in 2007 and the most in Wright’s tenure at the Bruins’ helm.

But the milestone means little to the coach.

“The reality is we want to be mindful of our opponents and respectful, so no, that’s nothing,” Wright said.

Sixteen Bruins managed to etch the scoreboard Friday afternoon, pouring in 18 goals across the first and third quarters. Among this lineup was sophomore attacker Elektra Urbatsch, who notched five goals over the course of the weekend and three against Concordia.

“It’s great to be back in the pool and back with the team,” Urbatsch said. “This has been a great learning opportunity for all of us, and I’m really excited to get out there and keep playing.”

Sunday’s showdown against USC was poised to either repeat history or rewrite it – and this time, it was the latter.

Less than a year after the Bruins downed the Trojans 10-4 in the 2024 MPSF championship, the Los Angeles rivals engaged in a back-and-forth battle with both teams struggling to gain a lasting edge.

Each time a Bruin found the back of the net, the Trojans responded in kind, keeping the game locked in a tight exchange.

“​​I was trying to make as many stops as I possibly could,” said sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steele. “We were disconnected and could have dictated a lot better where we wanted the shot to come from.”

Even in the face of the team’s first loss, Steele continued to shine. The 2024 ACWPC National Player of the Year and First-Team All-American recorded a season-high 14 saves against Irvine, just six saves away from her career-high 20 in 2024.

“It’s not something I’m always thinking about,” Steele said. “It’s a goal of mine to keep trying to see who I can become and know how many blocks I can get and how well we can play and our defense can play.”

USC came out relentless in the second half, surging to a 10-7 lead. Despite the Bruins’ efforts to close the gap, the Trojans maintained their momentum. From there, the Bruins found themselves locked in a game of catch-up, struggling to break through their foes’ defensive stronghold.

A last-minute goal by sophomore attacker Becca Melanson marked the final time UCLA would score across the match. After USC quickly responded with two goals of its own in under a minute, the Triton Invitational title returned to the other side of LA.

UCLA’s scoring efficiency was a key factor in its dominant performance leading up to the final. Against Concordia Irvine, every Bruin who attempted a shot found the back of the net – something Wright’s squad couldn’t do against a stronger defensive unit like USC.

“Everyone was involved,” Urbatsch said. “It’s just a great feeling to know that the whole team is contributing, and it’s good to score, but above all, it’s good to have such a team dynamic.”

The key difference Sunday afternoon was USC’s efficiency in front of the cage – despite UCLA keeping pace in offensive production, the Bruins were not nearly as cohesive.

“We played as individuals and made individual decisions that were costly and detrimental to the team,” Wright said. “It’s disappointing in the fact that we are usually a disciplined team.”